Shloka 16
Devanagari script
ततो गाण्डीवधन्वानमब्रवीन्मधुसूदन:
Transliteration
tato gāṇḍīvadhanvānam abravīn madhusūdanaḥ | prayāhi śīghraṁ govinda sūtaputrajighāṁsayā ||
Translation
सञ्जय उवाच—ततो मधुसूदनः गाण्डीवधन्वानम् अब्रवीत्। प्रयाहि शीघ्रं गोविन्द, सूतपुत्रजिघांसया॥
Word by Word
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
गाण्डीव-धन्वानम्the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna)
गाण्डीव-धन्वानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगाण्डीवधन्वन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अब्रवीत्said, spoke
अब्रवीत्:
TypeVerb
Rootब्रू
FormImperfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
मधुसूदनःMadhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)
मधुसूदनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमधुसूदन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रयाहिgo forth, depart
प्रयाहि:
TypeVerb
Rootया
FormImperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
शीघ्रम्quickly
शीघ्रम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootशीघ्र
गोविन्दO Govinda
गोविन्द:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootगोविन्द
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
सूत-पुत्र-जिघांसयाwith the desire to slay the charioteer’s son (Karna)
सूत-पुत्र-जिघांसया:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootसूतपुत्रजिघांसा
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaM
Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)G
Govinda (Kṛṣṇa)G
Gāṇḍīva-dhanvān (Arjuna)S
Sūtaputra (Karna)G
Gāṇḍīva (bow)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights decisive action under dharma’s pressure: Kṛṣṇa urges swift execution of a necessary wartime objective. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between compassion and duty—where delay can endanger one’s side and undermine righteous strategy.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana/Govinda) speaks to Arjuna (the Gāṇḍīva-bearer), urging him to move quickly with the intent to kill Karna (called sūtaputra). It is a moment of urgent mobilization and tactical resolve in the Karṇa Parva battle sequence.